iPhone Photography
I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my photography and here’s the scoop. All of the photos on my blog are shot with my iPhone. I often use an app called CameraBag that recreates the magic of film without all the chemicals needed to manually use and develop film. There aren’t any settings or choices for each filter, you just decide which vintage camera you’d like to use, some of my favourites are the instant camera (that I used for this Polaroid of vintage graffiti), as well as the Lomo (in action in these over-saturated photos) and Holga (that I used to put a dark and moody edge on some of my summer photography). But sometimes I don’t use any additional software at all. Just raw iPhone photography, iPhoneography.
Tulips at night
Last night I thought this bunch of tulips might wilt before I got round to taking some photos of it, so I took a few pictures with the camera in my iPhone, although it was almost midnight and the camera doesn’t have a flash. Tulips are an early sign of spring for me, even if you have to buy them at the store because the ground is still deep with snow and it’ll be months before they blossom here! I find these tulips so inspiring, but with all the excitement over Apple’s new iPad and the administration and economy that I handle at the end of each month I’m way too busy to do much more than capture them on film.
Blurred tulips
I really like the rough quality that the low-quality camera of a mobile device can bring out! And the immediacy. There’s something very appealing to me in this blurred photo of tulips. Perhaps it’s the almost painterly quality… Normally I wouldn’t post this photo, but seeing as I’m talking about photography, and some of the unexpected beauty of the imperfections of lo-fi photography, I did.
I absolutely refuse to spend time in Photoshop editing photos. If I’m going to be creating using my computer as a tool, I’d prefer to work on my own art. There’s something endlessly satisfying about the simplicity of lo-fi photography, trusting the moment, seeing what happens. Finding moments of serendipity. It’s a liberating contrast to the sometimes laborious methods involved in designing icons and the endless and complicated options and settings available in the tools of my trade, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
I first got an iPhone because I was designing icons for the platform and I needed to see what they actually looked like in their own environment. At the time, I’d never guessed what a huge inspiration the iPhone turned out to be for me! A digital playground and a canvas to experiment with and to capture ideas with the built in camera, notes and voice memos. It’s become the place where my creative process often begins. But my favourite source of creativity on my iPhone is finger painting with Brushes! More about that another day!
Tags: apps, CameraBag, creative process, ease, imperfection, Inspiration, iPhone, iPhoneography, lo-fi, Photography, serendipity, simplicity, software, technology
I love these pics! I like the grainy blurry quality of them, too.
I think I’ll put the iphone back on my wishlist :) You are doing great work with it!
Thank you Steffi! It’s been hugely inspiring for me! A portable space for creativity that’s separate from my computer.
Very tempted now! I adore tulips too – they manage to look so wonderful at every stage – from tight buds to falling petals! So that two things on my wish list :)
Yes, I love that too!!!! And seeing them grow… I hate to have to finally remove the petals that have fallen on the table. :)
ha! well you certainly had me fooled. I would have guessed you had some state-of-the-art camera, and a bag of expensive lenses. I’m going to forward this post to my sister–she’ll love it! …and I predict she’ll own the camera bag filter by the end of the day. I might, too :)
Thanks for this post. I learned something new today!
Oh, let me know how it goes!? It really makes blogging easy for me, or easier, and the photo part is so much fun!
Your iphone? Are you kidding me? Your photos are so exquistely beautiful. Technology is so amazing these days. It really does allow one to focus on their own art and to choose what they are going to spend their time on.
If I ever get an iphone I will be taking photos with it too.
Hello Valarie! Thanks so much for your kind comment about my photos! I do love when technology can bring ease and joy to your life and this is a great example of that!
WOW… your iPhone… that is a mystery solved, Kate! Here I was thinking you’re using some fab camera, special lenses and all kinds of editing… I admire your photos and subject matter all the time–dazzling! Hubby wants and iPhone–really bad… ;o) LOL! These tulips are so HAPPY! Happy Weekend, my friend ((HUGS))
Thanks Tracy, no it’s very simple! :D Did you get your new device up and running yet?
Kate,
These are gorgeous!! I love the looseness to them, and yes the blurry one is very painterly(ish)! I could see these all turned into paintings! And how cool that these came from your iphone! Wow! Never would of guessed. Happy Birthday!
Thank you Dana, and yes I like how the imperfections can bring ideas!
Hey Kate .. thanks for the welcome back!!!!
I love your tulip pics, wow the old iphone awesome!
Love the grainy ones!!
Your kitties are soo..ooo cute.. jus’ let ‘em come!!
Cheers to a brilliantly fulfilling, successful, creative 2010!!!!
Hey, Helen, it’s great to see you back on your blog! :)
Hello Kate — Thank you for posting this on the Together comments board. These are exquisite. The colors are so yummy and pretty. I really enjoyed your post — lots of good information and thought here. I think you hit on something important about photography especially today with so many options . . . that the lo-fi approach can really capture something more raw and universal maybe. Good food for thought as I pick up my camera this week. I think also it would be interesting to see photos of your tulips after a few days when they are wilting. There might be something there too. . . : )
I very much enjoy reading your comments on the Together forum! Thank YOU! :)
Yesterday I took a few photos of these tulips as they wilt, I’m surprised at how long they’ve lasted! I think I’ll post the photos later on.
About photography, I really enjoy the spontaneity of it! There’s something very liberating about throwing away the expectations I can have on my work, to just doodle, work with limitations, a camera in a cell phone… Often, I find it gets my creative juices flowing.
Kate~
These are absolutely gorgeous and as you may know I completely understand the obsession with CameraBag, my newest creative inspiration.
Thank you so much Marisa! And yeah, it’s sooo much fun!
Hi Kate – Thanks for posting this via the Together class. I am a photographer and have way too much equipment for my own good, and my go-to camera most days is my trusty iPhone. I love how spontaneous it makes me, and it has changed the way I take pictures with other cameras. I love your tulips at night shot!
Hello Julia, I very much enjoy reading your comments in the Together class!
How interesting to hear that even you who are a professional photographer like to use your iPhone as a to-go camera!!!!!! Here I was imagining “real photographers” rolling their eyes at iPhone photography! That’s very empowering to hear that you too find iPhone photography fun and creative!
Wow, these are very pretty photos, & I can’t believe that they were taken with an iphone. I like the immediacy and spontaneity of the shots. I just spent a lot of money on a new camera. Maybe I should have bought an iphone instead! :)
Hi Wini, no I’m SURE you did the right thing! The photos you’re taking with your new camera are really beautiful and your camera gives you more and different options.
An iPhone is a bit different, perhaps it’s best described as having its own charm, like a digital sketchbook that has audio, photos, text and painting, and it’s great for gathering inspiration on the go.
i love this post! i am always snapping shots on my i phone! great post!
Thank you Charlotte! It’s a lot of fun, isn’t it? :)